1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gaming system having a large display and plural gaming machines.
2. Discussion of the Background
Conventionally, there exists a gaming system in which a plurality of gaming machines are linked to a control device by network, as disclosed in: U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,553, U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,275, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,484, US 2005/0079911-A1, US 2005/0119044-A1, US 2006/0205468-A1, US 2005/0187014-A1, and US 2006/0073897-A1. In such gaming systems, a control device pools part of game media which have been inserted in respective gaming machines, and pays out the pooled game media to gaming machines in which winning of progressive jackpots has occurred. Among these gaming systems, there are gaming systems adapted to display the amount of pooled game media to a common display.
In cases where such gaming systems are installed in casino halls and the like, there is a need for connection of a plurality of gaming machines to a control device through a network, installation of a display on a wall, works for preventing the network wirings from being exposed to cause disfigurement, and the like. Further, there has been a problem as seen in the case that once gaming systems have been constructed, there arises a need for works every time the position of the display is required to be changed due to change of the layout.
Further, since the position of the display is limited to places where a device for securing the display can be provided, the installation places of the gaming system are restricted in cases where the display is to be provided on a wall. Further, in cases where the display is to be hanged from a ceiling, it is dangerous when the ceiling is high. As described above, there have been restrictions on the places at which gaming systems are installed.
Further, in cases where the display is provided on a wall, there has been a possibility of changes of the wall color due to heat generation from the display.
In order to overcome the aforementioned problems, making a plurality of gaming machines, a common display and a control device form a single module has been conceived. However, in cases where a common display is provided at the upper portions of a plurality of gaming machines, the common display is going to be installed at a high position; therefore, viewing the common display becomes difficult for players playing games on the gaming machines. Accordingly, there has been a need for removing the decoration panels provided in the gaming machines in order to reduce the height of the gaming machines. This has resulted in a new problem of difficulty of providing places at which decoration panels conventionally provided in gaming machines are to be installed.
The present invention is made in view of the aforementioned problems, and aims at providing a gaming system capable of providing installation places at which decoration panels conventionally provided in gaming machines are to be installed even in a case where a plurality of gaming machines, a common display and a control device constitute a single module.
The contents of U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,553, U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,275, U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,484, US 2005/0079911-A1, US 2005/0119044-A1, US 2006/0205468-A1, US 2005/0187014-A1, and US 2006/0073897-A1 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.